The Bicycle Thief is considered a masterpiece Neorealist film that incorporates a unique relationship between father and son. Antonio Ricci, the father, and Bruno, the son, grow to depend on each other throughout the film. The intense search for Ricci's stolen bicycle in war torn Italy provides the foreground for which this relationship develops. In The Bicycle Thief the strong relationship between Ricci and Bruno provides the foundational theme of faith and hope for the future.
             The love Ricci has for his son can be seen in the beginning of the movie when he accepts a job for man who has a bicycle. Ricci no longer has a bicycle because he pawned it in a pervious attempt to acquire money in order support his family. Ricci simply accepts the job because he is desperate for work and desperate to support his son and wife. This time it means pawning the family's cotton sheets in order for Ricci to get enough money to buy a bicycle. This shows that Ricci will do what ever it takes to support his son and wife. The idea that jobs are so rare shows the grave and extreme economic situation that Italy has sunk into following the post war period. For a child like Bruno to grow up in this period of history he needs the dependence of a strong father figure. In many cases throughout the film Ricci shows a strong side such as accepting a job with out the proper transportation. It is clear that Ricci will do whatever it takes to provide for his family.
             On Ricci's first day of work Bruno is just as excited as the father. Bruno gets up early to see his father off to work. Bruno and Ricci have a bond that is based around the bicycle. When they have the bicycle in their possession, Bruno is the one who takes care of the bike while Ricci is the one who rides the bike. On first day of work Bruno dresses identical to what Ricci is wearing for a uniform. This shows that Bruno wants to be just like his father. Bruno wants...